Scan barcode
A review by kmcneil
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
4.0
"...a work that is nothing short of enchanting" is how Starry River of the Sky is described in the School Library Journal below. I couldn't agree more. What a lovely story ... actually what lovely stories (plural), as woven between the main story are Chinese folk tales. The third graders at my school learn about Greek mythology, and so many of them just can't get enough. I will enthusiastically offer Grace Lin's Starry River of the Sky and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to those students as an alternative and as a way to expand their interest in folklore and myths.
From School Library Journal 9/1/2012
Gr 3‰ЫТ6‰ЫУThe moon is missing from the sky, and its absence causes unrelenting heat and drought. At night, Rendi can hear the sky moan and whimper for the missing moon, a sound that has plagued him since running away from home and ending up as a chore boy at an isolated inn. When a mysterious and glamorous guest arrives, she bring stories and asks Rendi to tell her tales in return. These stories weave the characters and plotlines together while revealing the backstory of Rendi's flight from home, the village's geography, and the missing moon, and how they tie together. This follow-up to Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown, 2009), takes place centuries earlier, when Magistrate Tiger's son was still young, and missing. The stories the characters tell are based on traditional Chinese folktales, but Lin adds her own elements and layers and mixes them with original tales to form a larger narrative that provides the background and the answers for the frame story. This tight and cyclical plotting, combined with Lin's vibrant, full-color paintings and chapter decorations, creates a work that is nothing short of enchanting. Like the restored moon, Starry River outshines the previous work.‰ЫУJennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD Copyright 2012 Reed Business Information.
From School Library Journal 9/1/2012
Gr 3‰ЫТ6‰ЫУThe moon is missing from the sky, and its absence causes unrelenting heat and drought. At night, Rendi can hear the sky moan and whimper for the missing moon, a sound that has plagued him since running away from home and ending up as a chore boy at an isolated inn. When a mysterious and glamorous guest arrives, she bring stories and asks Rendi to tell her tales in return. These stories weave the characters and plotlines together while revealing the backstory of Rendi's flight from home, the village's geography, and the missing moon, and how they tie together. This follow-up to Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Little, Brown, 2009), takes place centuries earlier, when Magistrate Tiger's son was still young, and missing. The stories the characters tell are based on traditional Chinese folktales, but Lin adds her own elements and layers and mixes them with original tales to form a larger narrative that provides the background and the answers for the frame story. This tight and cyclical plotting, combined with Lin's vibrant, full-color paintings and chapter decorations, creates a work that is nothing short of enchanting. Like the restored moon, Starry River outshines the previous work.‰ЫУJennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD Copyright 2012 Reed Business Information.